Baritone Reginald Smith, Jr.
Wins the Hearts of the Audience and
“The People’s Choice Award” for $1,500
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Second Place ($7,500) Goes to 30-Year-Old
Tenor Brent Reilly Turner
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Third Place ($5,000) Awarded to 24-Year-Old
Bass-Baritone Matthew Stump
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Event Honors Cecile and Dr. Fred Bonte
For Their Generous Support
Of Science Education and the Arts, including The Dallas Opera Guild, The Women’s Board of the Dallas Opera, The Science Place, and the Dallas Arboretum

DALLAS, MARCH 15, 2014 – No amount of locally heavy rains across North Texas Saturday evening could dampen the spirits of excited patrons and participants as The Dallas Opera Guild presented an impressive array of highly talented young artists competing for top prizes in the Finals Round of the 26th Annual “Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition.” This on-stage showcase for young opera singers with Texas connections is conducted annually in the acoustically acclaimed setting of the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center.

The $10,000 First Prize, the second annual Bessylee Penland First Place Award, was presented to Audra Methvin by one of this year’s honorees, Cecile Bonte.
The 27-year-old soprano wowed the crowd with “Ah! non credea…Ah! non giunge” from Bellini’s La sonnambula and “No Word from Tom…I Go to Him” from The Rake’s Progress by Igor Stravinsky.
Now living in Dallas, Ms. Methvin is a recent graduate of Eastern New Mexico University and a Studio Artist (2010-2011) at Central City Opera in Colorado. She won Third Place in last year’s Guild competition (and was a finalist the year before), as well as First Place Winner in the 2012 Vocal Artistry in Song Competition. She has performed on several occasions with the Boulder Symphony, AIMS Orchestra (Graz, Austria) and the Colorado Symphony and was a Studio Artist at Central City Opera.
Among her awards was First Place in the Meistersinger Competition in 2013, and the 2014 Woman’s Voice Award presented by the Women’s Chorus of Dallas.
During today’s semi-finals round, she performed “Dove sono i bei momenti” from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro accompanied by pianist Jason Smith, in addition to “Depuis le jour” from Charpentier’s Louise.
She now studies with Virginia Dupuy and is pursuing a Performer’s Diploma at Southern Methodist University.

The $7500 cash prize for Second Place, presented by Dallas Opera Guild President Sydney Phillips, went to 30-year-old tenor Brent Reilly Turner from Amarillo, who regaled the audience with renditions of “Ah, la paterna man” from Verdi’s Macbeth and “In fernem Land” from Wagner’s Lohengrin accompanied by Laurie Rogers.
Earlier today, Mr. Turner delighted the Winspear Opera House audience with more Wagner from Die Walküre, “Ein Schwert verhiess mir der Vater,” as well as “Addio, fiorito asil” from Puccini’s Madama Butterfly.
Mr. Turner has a Master’s from the University of Cincinnati and is currently studying with Michael Paul. Last year, he won First Place in the Florida Suncoast Opera Competition and was named Grand Prize winner in the Orpheus Vocal Competition. He has worked with Santa Fe Opera and is a frequent guest artist at Utah Opera, Ash Lawn Opera, Utah Symphony, Amarillo Opera and other companies across the U.S.

The award for Third Place ($5,000) went to 24-year-old bass-baritone Matthew Stump, a graduate of Luther College in Iowa, now pursuing a graduate degree at the University of North Texas College of Music under the direction of Dr. Stephen F. Austin. He is a four-time NATS competition winner (National Association of Teachers of Singing), Brudos Opera Prize winner, MET Regional Finalist and Winspear Scholar.
Mr. Stump’s roles in student productions have included Sweeney Todd, The Pirate King, Capulet, Figaro, Mercutio, Frank Maurrant (Kurt Weill’s Street Scene), and Don Alfonso.
Tonight, the Indiana native performed “Hear me, O Lord” from Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah as well as a memorable rendition of the “Catalogue Aria” (“Madamina, il catalogo è questo”) from Mozart’s Don Giovanni, accompanied by Laurie Rogers.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Stump impressed in the semi-finals round with performances of “Vous qui faites l’endormie,” a devilish aria from Gounod’s Faust – and another Mozart selection, “Non piu andrai” from The Marriage of Figaro.
The cash prize was presented to Mr. Stump by former Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition Chair Don Jones.

“This year as the Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition Chair has been the most rewarding, exhilarating volunteer position I have ever held,” says Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition Co-Chair Dr. Sharon Bird Stupp. “I have gained such respect for these talented, dedicated young singers. An individual’s voice is such an integral part of their being, and they courageously put their voice ‘out there’ to be judged and found worthy. They have my total and complete admiration.”

“Everyone views the Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition as a tremendous opportunity for gifted young opera singers with Texas ties,” says Mr. Pell. “However, the fact is, this is just as significant an opportunity for those of us in the field to gauge the next generation of singing talent, as it is a chance for these young artists to shine.
“My commitment to this competition grows year-by-year,” he adds, “because I’ve seen its incredible impact on lives, as well as careers.”

“Previous winners have built upon the encouragement and financial support they received to earn spots in prestigious young artists’ programs and advance in their studies at leading vocal institutes,” explained Vocal Competition Co-Chair Dr. Sharon Bird Stupp. “Many who received early recognition here have gone on to stellar international careers, award-winning roles on Broadway, and prestigious debuts and teaching positions.”

The honorees for the 26th Annual Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition were Cecile and Dr. Fred Bonte.
The Bontes have been consistent donors and supporters of the Guild’s Vocal Competition since its earliest days. Cecile has had the pleasure of designing and doing the calligraphy for the winners’ certificates for many years. Both have won the respect of their peers for their tireless contributions of time, talent, energy and resources.

“We wish to thank the Dallas Opera, The Dallas Opera Guild and all of its members” wrote Dr. and Mrs. Bonte. “When it is all said and done however, this is all about the very talented and worthy participants of this outstanding competition. It would please us immensely if all who believe in this competition, as we surely do, and the wonderful opportunity it brings to the singers, would be as generous as possible as part of their continued commitment to the project.”

Preliminary judges for this year’s competition included Dallas Opera Music Director of Education and Family Programming and Adjunct Faculty at the University of North Texas Mary Dibbern; world-renowned tenor Clifton Forbis, recent star of the Dallas Opera’s Tristan und Isolde and Associate Professor and Chair of Voice at SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts; and Dr. Stephen Dubberly, Opera Music Director at the University of North Texas.

The singers in both the semi-final and finals rounds on March 15th were accompanied by Laurie Rogers of the Dallas Opera Music Staff and Jason Smith, an accompanist and faculty vocal coach at Southern Methodist University, with guest pianists Jeffrey Arnold and Saule Garcia.

The Dallas Opera Guild’s Vocal Competition, not only provides vital assistance to the young opera stars of tomorrow, but also creates an outstanding opportunity for people from throughout the community to hear exceptional up-and-coming talents, in free performances in a magnificent setting.

This free, spring musical event has become a favorite among opera aficionados and vocal music lovers across North Texas. For additional information about the 26th Annual Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition or upcoming Dallas Opera Guild programs and special events, please contact The Dallas Opera Guild at 214-443-1040.

Select Stars of Earlier Competitions

Clifton Forbis (tenor), winner of our second annual Vocal Competition in 1990, has forged a dynamic international career. He sang the title role of Samson in Samson et Dalila at San Francisco Opera and San Diego Opera, Siegmund in the Canadian Opera Company’s 2006 production of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen to open their new Four Seasons Opera House. He also performed Act I of Die Walküre in January 2006 with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. Mr. Forbis has sung Otello at La Scala and in numerous productions at the Metropolitan Opera and other important theaters around the world and – most notably -- brought his interpretation of the role to open the new Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Center for the Performing Arts in October of 2009 and returned in one of the title roles of Tristan & Isolde in a critically acclaimed new Dallas Opera production.

1998 First Prize winner Latonia Moore (soprano), who also captured the inaugural People’s Choice Award that year, brought the audience to their feet in her memorable 2004 Dallas Opera debut as Micaela in Bizet’s Carmen, earning the Maria Callas Award for The Dallas Opera debut of the year. She “triumphed as a radiant-voiced Micaela” recreating that role for her debut with the New York City Opera. The New York Times wrote of “her radiant, warm sound and lovely phrasing,” saying, “What she has already is special: a distinctive, poignant sound that makes an audience sit up.” She made her Carnegie Hall debut in the title role of L’Arlesiana for Opera Orchestra of New York and made her debut at London’s Covent Garden as Liu in Turandot before stepping in at the 11th hour to sing Aida at the Met. She repeated her triumph to launch the Dallas Opera’s 2012-2013 Season in the title role of Verdi’s Aida at the Dallas Opera.

Jesus Garcia (tenor) competed in The Dallas Opera Guild’s Vocal Competition in 1996, 1997, and 1999, winning Second Place that year. Long a favorite of Guild members, Jesus studied at the University of North Texas before attending the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2001, who starred as Rodolfo in Baz Luhrman’s La bohème on Broadway, Jesus has also sung the Berlioz Requiem at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., the role of Prince Ramiro in La Cenerentola with the Washington National Opera at Kennedy Center, as well as in School matinee performances for The Dallas Opera. Mr. Garcia has performed at the Spoleto Festival, Houston Grand Opera, and Bordeaux Opera (France), among other venues.

Third Place winner Steven LaBrie (baritone) barely met the age requirement to enter our 2006 competition, then walked away with both the People’s Choice Award and a special Mozart Aria award given by TDO’s former General Director Karen Stone in honor of the composer’s 250th birthday. His win propelled him into a coveted spot at AVA, where he performed roles in Il barbiere de Siviglia and Eugene Onegin, in addition to his role as Antonio in Le Nozze de Figaro with The Living Opera. He went on to take First Place in an historic tie with baritone Michael Sumuel in the 2009 Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition and made his official Dallas Opera debut in 2011singing the role of Paris in Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet. He returned to TDO in the fall of 2013 to sing the role of Le Dancaire in Bizet’s Carmen.

Tenor Scott Scully, winner of the 2000 People’s Choice Award, has sung with the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and Arizona Opera and made his Dallas Opera debut in Lohengrin. He was a member of the Houston Grand Opera Studio and the San Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera Program. Very active in concert, he has sung Carmina Burana with the Pittsburg Symphony Orchestra and Atlanta Ballet, Falstaff and Billy Budd with the Cleveland Orchestra, and has collaborated with a list of illustrious conductors. In addition to the Dallas Opera Guild award, he received the Pavarotti award from the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, among others.

Jennifer Black (soprano), winner of our 2001 Vocal Competition and the People’s Choice Award, has participated in the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. In 2006, she made her debut with the New York City Opera, the Santa Fe Opera, and sang at Carnegie Hall. She was previously a National Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and was described by The New York Times as “a sensitive, rich-voiced soprano.” Recently she has starred in leading roles in Adriana Lecouvreur and La sonnambula at New York’s Metropolitan Opera.

Marjorie Owens, First Place winner of the 2002 competition and the People’s Choice Award, was a winner of the 2006 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She was a member of the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Lyric Opera Center for Young Artists, after spending three years with the Houston Grand Opera Studio. She has performed with the Fort Worth Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Wolf Trap Opera in Washington, D.C., and the Aspen Opera Theater. The New York Times included Marjorie in their compilation of “the upcoming Great Big American Voices.”

Winner of the 2003 People’s Choice Award, Erik Nelson Werner (baritone) has sung with the Dallas Opera, Fort Worth Opera, New York City Opera and Opera Orchestra of New York, and has sung extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe. He performed at Carnegie Hall in February 2007, and has won numerous awards throughout the years, including the Brahms Competition in Graz, Austria, and the Geneva International Music Competition. He has re-trained and has recently re-launched his career as a tenor.

Baritone Weston Hurt, winner of both our 2005 Vocal Competition and the People’s Choice Award, has performed throughout the United States and Latin America and made his debut with The Dallas Opera in La bohème. He debuted with the New York City Opera in 2006, and has also sung with the Opera Orchestra of New York, and the National Symphony at Wolf Trap. His 2007 engagements included the Arizona Opera, Opera Grand Rapids, and the role of Baldassare in L’Arlesiana with the Opera Orchestra of New York. A graduate of the Juillard Opera Center, he has won numerous awards, including Opera Index, Inc., Palm Beach Opera Competition, two career grants from the Santa Fe Opera, and was a finalist for the Sara Tucker Career Grant. This season Mr. Hurt will be back singing the role of Frank in Korngold’s Die tote Stadt.

First Place winner Takesha Meshé Kizart (soprano, 2006) appeared in the title role of Tosca for The Dallas Opera’s 2008 School Performances which led to her U.K. debut in the role at Opera North in Leeds. A former vocal performance honors student at UNT, she has won numerous competitions throughout the world, including national semi-finalist for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Marian Anderson Historical Society, Mario Lanza Institute Vocal Scholarship Competition, Opera Index, and the Voci Verdiane International Competition in Busseto, Italy, where she became the first African-American to ever win the Grand Prize. She recently made her Metropolitan Opera debut as “Musetta” in La bohème.

Tenor Scott Quinn, who tied for Second Place in the 2008 competition, served as The Dallas Opera’s “Young Artist in Residence” the following year, singing principal roles in several mainstage productions, including Roberto Devereux (Lord Cecil) and La bohème (Parpignol). He continues to sing roles for us today, including a recent appearance as Normanno in TDO’s revival of Lucia di Lammermoor. He has completed his second year in the Houston Grand Opera’s Young Artist Program where he has performed such roles as Rodolfo in La bohème (November 1, 6, 2012), Sailor’s Voice in Tristan and Isolde. Ruiz in Il trovatore (2013). Previously: Royal Herald in Don Carlos (2012), Gastone de Letourières in La traviata (2012), Sergeant in The Barber of Seville (2012).

First Place winner (2011), 26-year-old countertenor John Holiday, Jr., a 2007 graduate of Southern Methodist University now working towards a master’s degree at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (2012), wowed judges and audience members alike with his extraordinary renditions of “Crude furie” from Händel’s Serse and “Che farò senza Euridice” from Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, which showcased the exceptional beauty and timbre of his unusual vocal type. And he took critics by storm in December’s production of “A Gathering: The Dallas Arts Community Reflects on 30 Years of AIDS.” Performing “Ave Maria,” Mr. Holiday, wrote Mark Lowry of “Theater Jones,” gave a performance “that had to be heard to be believed.”

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Single tickets for the remaining mainstage productions of the Dallas Opera’s “Pursuits of Passion” Season are on sale now, starting at just $19, through the Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or online at www.dallasopera.org. Student Rush best-available tickets can be purchased at the lobby box office for $25 (one per valid Student I.D.) ninety minutes prior to each performance.

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TOP CONTRIBUTORS TO THE 2014
DALLAS OPERA GUILD VOCAL COMPETITION

DIAMOND PATRONS ($5,000 and above)

Katherine and Michael Phillips

PLATINUM PATRONS ($2,500 and above)

James R. Seitz, Jr.

Cecile and Dr. Fred Bonte

GOLD PATRONS ($1,000-$2,499)

Elaine and Bill Blaylock
In honor of Cecile and Dr. Fred Bonte

Marnie and Kern Wildenthal
In honor of Cecile and Dr. Fred Bonte

SILVER PATRONS ($500-$999)

Dr. Robert and Martha Allday

Elaine and Bill Blaylock

Helen Boehning
In memory of friend Anne Bell
In honor of Cecile and Dr. Fred Bonte
In honor of Sharon Bird Stupp

Mac Burt

John and Patti Cody
In honor of the Dallas Opera Guild Volunteers

Ketty Fitzgerald
In honor of Jonathan Pell

Susan G. Fleming
In honor of Cecile and Dr. Fred Bonte

Dr. and Mrs. Mark S. Geyer

Marilyn and Ward Halla
In honor of Cecile and Dr. Fred Bonte
In memory of Nancy Ritter, Bill Hendrix and Bob Rawitscher

Angela D. Paulos

Leilya Sydney Phillips
In memory of Nancy Ritter

Pat and Jed Rosenthal
In honor of Cecile and Dr. Fred Bonte
In memory of Nancy Ritter and Rita Head

Honorable and Mrs. Wm. F. Sanderson, Jr.
In memory of Ann J. Bell

Betty Secker
In memory of Fred Secker, Sr.

Claude and Frances Thompson

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SPECIAL THANKS
TO THE AT&T PERFORMING ARTS CENTER AND STAFF
FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF THE
2014 DALLAS OPERA GUILD VOCAL COMPETITION

EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT “MARCH AT THE DALLAS OPERA”
IS CONVENIENTLY AVAILABLE ONLINE, 24/7
VISIT WWW.DALLASOPERA.ORG AND CHECK THE CALENDAR LISTINGS

For high-resolution, digital photographs suitable for print
To arrange an interview
Or for additional information
Please contact Suzanne Calvin, Director of Media & Public Relations
214.443.1014 or suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org

THE DALLAS OPERA WISHES TO EXPRESS ITS GRATITUDE TO OUR EXCLUSIVE PARTNERS:

AMERICAN AIRLINES – OFFICIAL AIRLINE OF THE DALLAS OPERA
LEXUS – OFFICIAL VEHICLE OF THE DALLAS OPERA

Ticket Information for the 2013-2014 Dallas Opera Season

All performances are in the new Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center. Single Tickets for all mainstage and family performances are on sale now. Family performances are $5; other mainstage operas start at a new low price of just $19! For more information, contact The Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online at www.dallasopera.org.

THE DALLAS OPERA 2013-2014 SPRING SEASON INFORMATION
The Dallas Opera celebrates its Fifty-Seventh International Season in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in the Dallas Arts District. Evening performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees will begin at 2:00 p.m. unless otherwise stated. English translations will be projected above the stage at every performance and assistance is available for the hearing impaired.

DALLAS OPERA FAMILY PERFORMANCES
Jack and the Beanstalk: October 26, 2013 and April 5, 2014
Family Concerts: November 3, 2013 and February 1, 2014
The Elixir of Love: November 9, 2013 and April 12, 2014

* Dallas Opera Debut
** American Debut
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The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from: City of Dallas, Office of Cultural Affairs; TACA; the Texas Commission on the Arts and The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). American Airlines is the official airline of The Dallas Opera. Lexus is the official vehicle of The Dallas Opera. Advertising support from The Dallas Morning News. A special thanks to the Elsa von Seggern Foundation for their continuing support.